Appalachian Voices and Google collaborate to develop community resilience hubs in Southwest Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2026
CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (540) 798-6683, dan@appvoices.org
press@google.com
NORTON, Va. — Appalachian Voices and Google are excited to announce a collaboration to install solar and energy storage technology to create community resilience hubs in the towns of Duffield and Dungannon in Southwest Virginia. Google awarded grant funding to Appalachian Voices in 2025 via the Sharing the Power Foundation to fund the installation of solar and energy storage technology at community-serving facilities in far Southwest Virginia. Construction is expected to begin this year, with commissioning also finalized in 2026.
A resilience hub is a designated location, such as a community center or school, that provides support and resources to help people stay safe and secure during weather-related disasters and other public emergencies. They provide emergency supplies, access to reliable power and a safe place to gather. The necessity for these hubs across Southwest Virginia and beyond has become more apparent in recent years as the region has repeatedly been hit hard by floods, storms and other weather-related emergencies.
“We are thrilled for this opportunity to direct funds generously granted by Google to implement important elements of the resilience plans we have spent the last several years developing with our friends and neighbors in Southwest Virginia,” said Adam Wells, Regional Director of Community and Economic Development with Appalachian Voices. “In addition to serving as a public resource in times of need, this investment in solar and battery storage technology will lower energy bills for our community partners all year long.”
“We’re proud to collaborate with Appalachian Voices to help bring more low-cost, reliable power to Southwest Virginia,” said Kaitlin Savage, Energy Market Development, Google. “Resilience hubs are a vital resource for communities facing increasing weather-related challenges, and this partnership further reflects our commitment to advancing affordable energy solutions and community preparedness in vulnerable regions.”
Google is supporting 30.5 kilowatts of solar energy installations for the town of Dungannon’s town hall and historic depot, as well as 115 kilowatt-hours of battery storage at the depot. The former train depot now serves as a community center, library and meeting space for the Dungannon Community Association. The building received weatherization and heat pump upgrades in 2025 to reduce energy use.
Dungannon residents identified the need for the project during community meetings held as part of Appalachian Voices’ Community Strong initiative. Through that initiative, Appalachian Voices has partnered with multiple communities in Southwest Virginia’s historic coalfield region to plan and build resilience hubs at community-serving facilities through robust local engagement processes. Tiger Solar of Charlottesville, Virginia, is installing the solar panels and battery system.
Google is also supporting a solar energy plus battery storage installation at Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Appalachian Harvest building in Duffield, Virginia. Solar Alliance of Knoxville, Tennessee, will install 75.6 kilowatts of solar energy and 246 kilowatt-hours of battery storage. Appalachian Harvest processes, stores and brings local produce to market for local farmers, and also distributes food boxes to food pantries, food banks and civic organizations throughout Southwest Virginia.
These projects are also being supported by recoverable grant funding and repayable financing from Invest Appalachia, a regional impact investment platform, with coordination support from the Appalachian Solar Finance Fund. The Appalachian Solar Finance Fund is a regional financial and technical assistance program housed and fiscally sponsored by Appalachian Voices in close partnership with Invest Appalachia.
“I am so excited to see the changes the town has made over the years continue,” said Dungannon Mayor Melissa Gillenwater, a lifelong resident of the town. “Thanks to our partners, this new solar project will not only help with the town’s electrical bills, it will also store backup power at our depot, which we are turning into a resilience hub in the case of emergency. This was a big dream of our former Mayor Debra Horne, who passed away last year. She is deeply missed and we are trying to live up to her legacy. We may be a small town in Southwest Virginia, but we have big dreams and workers who want to see them fulfilled.”
“Appalachian Sustainable Development is excited to announce the next step in building a resilient food system: the implementation of solar power at our Appalachian Harvest food hub in early 2026,” said Appalachian Sustainable Development CEO Kathlyn Terry Baker. “By harnessing solar energy, the food hub will continue providing fresh, locally grown food to communities — even in times of crisis — while reducing our environmental footprint. This project represents a powerful combination of sustainability, innovation and community resilience, ensuring that both our farmers and neighbors thrive for years to come.”
“Local microgrids use solar and battery storage to strengthen critical energy infrastructure and increase preparedness for natural disasters, while also lowering costs,” said Invest Appalachia CEO Andrew Crosson. “These two Southwest Virginia microgrids also serve as resilience hubs for their communities — protecting food systems, supporting emergency response, providing sheltering space, and anchoring recovery in places residents already rely on. Invest Appalachia is proud to provide flexible, blended capital investment for both the Dungannon Depot and the Appalachian Harvest Food Hub projects.”
“Being able to provide rural communities with the means to stay safe is more important than ever,” said Ron Hisel, Vice President of Tiger Solar. “Solar power and battery storage provide reliability during weather-related emergencies and other critical need scenarios.”
“Providing lowest-cost solar energy on site, along with well-designed energy storage for community resilience, is an honor for Solar Alliance, while also enabling us to provide skilled jobs for workers in an activity that we truly believe is so worthwhile,” said Solar Alliance President and CEO Brian Timmons. “Though we do work on larger-scale solar projects, we are particularly committed to addressing the needs of underserved rural communities with projects like this.”
